Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, emphasized on Thursday that his party does not want Tripura to face ethnic violence akin to the recent turmoil in Manipur. He stressed the need for equal justice for all communities in the state. Gogoi, accompanied by Lok Sabha member and former Union Minister Tariq Anwar, and other senior Congress leaders, met with Tripura Governor Indrasena Reddy Nallu. They discussed the ongoing violent incidents related to the Panchayat elections and the recent ethnic violence in Ganda Twisa, Dhalai district.
“The Congress seeks justice for the youth who was killed and for those whose properties were destroyed in the Ganda Twisa violence,” Gogoi stated. He referenced the July 12 incident where a tribal college student, Parameshwar Reang, succumbed to injuries sustained in an assault on July 7, leading to widespread arson and looting. Over 40 houses, 30 shops, and numerous vehicles were damaged in Ganda Twisa, 130 km southeast of Agartala. Gogoi, elected from Assam’s Jorhat constituency, claimed that Tripura’s law and order situation has collapsed, threatening democracy and the Constitution. He criticized the government’s inaction despite Congress leaders’ reports to the police about the violence in Ganda Twisa and election-related incidents.
“Our party candidates are being prevented from submitting nominations for many seats, and there is no assurance that voters will safely reach polling booths on August 8,” Gogoi remarked, demanding the Governor’s intervention. Tariq Anwar, a Congress Working Committee member, insisted that the Panchayat polls on August 8 should be conducted in a free, fair, and transparent manner, allowing all parties to participate fully.
Earlier, the Tripura High Court directed the State Election Commission (SEC) to ensure free and fair three-tier Gram Panchayat elections on August 8. Justices Arindam Lodh and Sabyasachi Datta Purkayastha ordered the SEC to conduct the elections transparently after opposition parties, including Congress and CPI-M, petitioned the court due to widespread violence during the nomination process.
